Case Number 26094

MUD (BLU-RAY)

The Charge

A story about the unspoken rules and risks of love.

Opening Statement

"We don't know who this guy is."

Facts of the Case

Ellis (Tye Sheridan, The Tree of Life) is a 14-year-old boy living on
the Arkansas delta. One day, Ellis and his best friend Neckbone (Jacob Lofland)
are boating down the Mississippi river when they happen across a
seemingly-deserted island. While exploring the area, the boys are surprised to
make the discovery that a grizzled fugitive named Mud (Matthew McConaughey,
Killer Joe) is already living there. Mud may be on the run from the law,
but he seems like a reasonably friendly guy, so Ellis agrees to bring the
desperate man some food and help round up a few supplies. Soon, the boys find
themselves meeting up with all sorts of different figures in Mud's life: his
longtime girlfriend Juniper (Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line), his old
friend Tom Blankenship (Sam Shepard, Days of Heaven) and even a vicious
bounty hunter (Paul Sparks, Boardwalk Empire) hellbent on bringing Mud's
life to an end. Who is Mud, exactly? Can he be trusted? Is Ellis getting in over
his head?

The Evidence

Over the course of three theatrical features, writer/director Jeff Nichols
has proven himself to be one of the most talented and exciting filmmakers of his
generation. His Shotgun Stories was a powerful, nuanced portrait of a
family feud. Take Shelter was an even greater effort, offering
extraordinarily bold narrative choices, surprising tenderness and a stunning
central performance from Michael Shannon (that the actor didn't take home an
Academy Award is a crime). Nichols' third film is the thriller Mud, which
represents the closest thing he's made to a mainstream movie but also
demonstrates that he's in absolutely no danger of losing his distinctive
cinematic voice as he finds himself working on slightly larger movies for
slightly larger audiences. In all three of his films, Nichols has demonstrated a
gift for capturing a sense of place; he creates rural worlds that feel
extraordinarily authentic and lived-in.

The little throwaway moments in Nichols' films have a tendency linger with
me as strongly as the more climactic scenes. Consider the scene in which Ellis
and his mother (Sarah Paulson, Serenity) are driving down the road, when
suddenly they see some police cars in the distance. "Oh no!" Paulson
gasps quietly, "Oh, I hope no one's hurt." It's not a particularly
crucial moment (and it turns out that no one's hurt), but the way Paulson
delivers that line is simply perfection. Another example, from the very same
scene: the police officer who ends up speaking to Ellis and his mom seems almost
alarmingly real. We see cops in movies and on television all the time, but I was
struck by just how perfect this particular guy's performance was. The way he
grimaces, the cadence of his speech, his slightly overbearing body language -- I
don't know if he's a real cop or not (IMDb says his name is Ryan Jacks, and he
doesn't have any other listed acting credits), but he certainly seems like one.
Nichols knows these people: how they talk, how they behave and how they would
react to the wild events the plot throws at them.

Speaking of which, Mud stands head and shoulders above the vast
majority of thrillers simply by remaining focused on its characters all the way
through. Yes, there's a big shoot-out in the third act, but it's superbly staged
and it's never turns previously ordinary characters into preposterous action
heroes. Plus, most of the third act isn't about violent conflict, but about
several of these characters coming to terms with their feelings and facing some
of life's most difficult emotional challenges head-on. It would have been easy
for some of this stuff to feel saccharine, but Nichols handles all of it
beautifully. The brief exchange between Mud and Juniper is a lovely piece of
understatement, and the film's final scene (involving two major characters) is
another moment in which everything we need to know is gently implied rather than
stated explicitly. Mud is a very accessible film, but also one that
trusts its audience enough not to be condescending.

Though Matthew McConaughey plays the title character and understandably
receives top billing, Ellis is unquestionably the film's central figure. Young
Tye Sheridan made a good impression as the younger brother in The Tree of
Life, but this film really gives him an opportunity to demonstrate what a
tremendous young actor he is. Observe the way he shifts his behavior depending
on who he's dealing with: he's casual and loose when he's hanging out with
Neckbone (the boys really do share a superb sense of chemistry), trying
valiantly to mask his nervousness when he's flirting with a local high school
girl (Bonnie Sturdivant), subdued yet respectful when talking to his father (Ray
McKinnon, Deadwood) and remaining friendly-yet-wary when dealing with
Mud. Sheridan never misses a beat and effectively carries the movie.

Of course, he's backed by a tremendous supporting cast. McConaughey really
is exceptional as Mud, continuing the hot streak he's been on in recent times.
What a remarkable run he's had; finally living up to all the potential he's
hinted at over the past couple of decades. Few other actors could have captured
the strange combination of feral charm and unstable danger the actor brings to
the part. Reese Witherspoon doesn't make quite as strong an impression as Mud's
troubled girlfriend, but it's nice to see her making a return to independent
cinema after too many years in commercial fluff. McKinnon and Paulson are superb
as Ellis' conflicted parents, and there are spot-on small supporting turns from
Michael Shannon (atypically hilarious) and Joe Don Baker (never more menacing).
The MVP of the supporting cast is arguably Sam Shepard, who brings the full
force of his grizzled persona to the part and effectively reminds us of why he's
an American treasure.

Mud (Blu-ray) has received a solid 1080p/2.35:1 transfer that does a
fine job of highlighting Nichols' evocative locations. Detail is terrific
throughout, really permitting the viewer to soak up the Arkansas atmosphere.
Depth is impressive, and nighttime scenes benefit from exceptional shading. The
DTS HD 5.1 Master Audio track is generally on the quiet side, but it's very
detailed and ultimately proves fairly immersive. It delivers a sonic kick when
it really needs to (such as during the aforementioned climactic shoot-out), but
it really excels when capturing the subtle sounds of the Mississippi River.
Supplements include a commentary with Nichols and four brief-but-engaging
featurettes ("A Personal Tale," "The Arkansas Ensemble,"
"Southern Authenticity" and "The Snake Pit"). You also get a
digital copy.

Closing Statement

Mud is a gripping thriller, a moving coming-of-age tale, a gorgeous
love letter to rural Arkansas and a genuinely inspirational fable. I can't
recommend it highly enough, and I can't wait to see what Nichols does next.